Britain's greatest explorers

As Sir Ranulph Fiennes attempts one of the last polar challenges, we offer
slightly softer alternatives to follow in the footsteps of Britain's great
explorers.

Sir Richard Burton

This 19th-century British geographer and explorer was best known for his
travels throughout Asia, as well as an extraordinary gift for absorbing
languages and culture. Perhaps his most famous journey involved travelling
to Mecca in disguise. He was also responsible for the Kama Sutra's
publication into English, and was one of the first Europeans to visit the
Great Lakes of Africa in search of the source of the Nile. He was the first
European to see Lake Tanganyika.